I'm looking to buy a CR500 for a quad project, but so far have been unable to figure out what years they started using watercooling. I believe the CR480 was watercooled, so maybe all of the cr500's are watercooled?

I know this isn't directly ATV related, but these boards are so full of intelligent people, I figured out someone had to know. Thanks

 

1986 was the first cr500 engine (and the current design) so its liquid, as i rember its also the first liquid cooled plant

 

Actually the '86 CR500 engine is slightly different from the current design. The '86's had too much power so Honda detuned them a little bit. I rebuilt and rode an '89 that had a FMF fatty exhaust and a FMF silencer. That thing was nuts. I can only imagine what the '86 is like to ride.

 

'85 was the first year for the water cooled CR500. The 480s were air cooled.

Hear me now, believe me later!

 

Yeah, they are fast. I own a 94cr500 and would love to put that engine in a quad. But they were rumored to put out high 50's to low 60's HP, so that isn't that much compared to highly modified quads. I am pretty sure that moto93 is right. I know the 83's were 480's air cooled and I think the 84's were air cooled also, just not sure of the cc's
Good luck.

 

Dude...don't bother. I had a 1985 CR500.....86 was not the first year. I also had a 1989 CR500 and a 1991 CR500.

This year I bought a 2002 CR250R and a CRF450....I am selling the 250....that 450 ROCKS! You want a motor man...get one of those. And you can buy CRF450 Crate motors [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]! I like the 450's power and delivery much more than the CR500's. I'll smoke a 500 anyday with that 4 STROKE! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]. The 500 DOES have MORE POWER...BUT...you have to either ride a 500 a gear high and or short shift it. Cause you certainly ain't gonna be reving out a CR500! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] With the 450 you get the most power to the ground while using the motors whole range...and you BETTER be planning that nect corner or whatever...because it IS a ROCKET...ride one! My 450 SMOKES my CR250 (2 stroke) by far! AND IT SMOKES Yamaha 426's all the time. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

I am planning to build a CRF450 porewed soon if Honda don't. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Bottomline

 

That's 50 some odd HP *STOCK* though... They are a 2 stroke so they should respond to mods well.

There are very few real 60+ HP quads out there, except specific built drag machines. Hopped up Banshees can get there, but don't have the torque of the big 500.

A CR500's 60 HP is going to be a lot more useable than a Banshee's (or most any other heavily modified engine's) 60HP - unless you're building a drag race specific machine.

 

1981 only...CR450R.......Air Cooled.....431cc
1982-1983...CR480R.......Air Cooled.....472cc
1984 only...CR500R.......Air Cooled.....491cc
1985-2001...CR500R.......Liq Cooled.....491cc

There may be some minor differences between the 1985 and 2001 engines, but none are significant enough to be recognized by Honda.

If any detuning has been done to one model year, it was in the exhaust or carburetion.

All the engines from 1985 to 2001 share the same ID numbers for all years.......PE02E-

 

Detuning was done with pipe changes and was made to make the power smoother. I don't think the newer models had any less power, they just didn't hit as hard.

 

Bottom line where can you find a CRF450 crate motor?